Verrill, Notes on Radiata. 321 



Order, HOLOTHURIOIDEA. 



A large number of Ilulothuriaiis, representing numerous species, 

 from Panama, San Salvador, etc., were collected by Mr. Bradley. 

 But since it is very difficult to ])roporly characterize animals of this 

 order from specimens preserved in alcohol, most of these species are 

 here omitted. The Holothurians of other localities have, also, been 

 so imperfectly described that descriptions of those of this region 

 would at present afford but little additional evidence upon questions 

 of Geographical Distribution. 



IMost of the species in the collection belong to the restricted genus 

 Holothuria^ and allied genera, having twenty peltate tentacles. 



Two of the more interesting and unusual forms are described below. 

 It is to be hoped that examinations of the living animals will soon 

 afford material for completing the descriptions of these, as well as of 

 the remaining species. 



Pentacta Panamensis Verriii, sp. nov. 



Body somewhat fusiform, pentagonal, the angles prominent, both 

 ends turned upward. Length, in alcohol, 1 -4 ; diameter at middle 

 •28. Suckers Jiot entirely retractile, arranged along the angles. In 

 the three lower ambulacra there are two alternating rows on each 

 angle, along the middle of the body, but toward each end they 

 become more distant, smaller, and form but a single row; on the two 

 ambulacra of the upper side they are less numerous and form a single 

 row along the whole length of the body. The suckers are stiff at 

 the lower pai"t, and filled with calcareous grains ; the ends are soft 

 and extensible, with well developed disks. The interambulacral 

 zones are smooth and without papillte; the skin thin, coriaceous' 

 filled with very numerous, minute, calcareous grains or plates. The 

 anal opening is surrounded by ten small papillie. Tentacles ten, the 

 two lower ones much the shortest, all arborescently branched, the 

 numerous ultimate divisions forming, in contraction, clusters of small 

 rounded papilhe on the branches. 



Color, in alcohol, grayish brown, the tentacles yellowish brown. 



Panama, — F. H. Bradley, one specimen. 



The extensive group of Holothui'ians referred to Pentacta by some 

 authors, and by others to Cucuinaria, appears to include several dis- 

 tinct generic types. The present species is closely allied to P. pen- 

 tactes Jaeg., of Europe, properly the type of the genus Pentacta, 

 which should, therefore, be restricted to those species which have a 

 pentagonal form, with suckers confined to the angles, and smooth 



